Electric flasher



May 14, 1935. L. LUDWIG ELECTRIC FLASHER Filed May 24, 193s Patented May 14, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC FLASHER Louis Ludwig, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application May 24, 1933, Serial No. 672,551

The invention relates to electric ilashers or current interrupters and has for its main object to provide a device of very simple construction in which the various parts can be manufactured at low cost and assembled with a great saving of time and labor. Another Objectis to so construct the device that breakage and distortion of any oi' its parts are reduced to a minimum. These and other objects and advantages will be readily understood from the following description and from the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional, side elevation o! a ilasher constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 another side elevation with some of the parts removed;

Fig. 3 a top view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 a cross-sectional, bottom view, taken on line 4 4 in Fig. l;

Fig. 5 another side elevation shown partly in cross-section; and

Fig. 6 a cross-sectional, side elevation of a slightly modiiied part of the ilasher.

Refening now to all the views, the ilasher comprises a body member I 0, which may be made either in one piece, as shown in Fig. 6, or in two halves IGA and IIIB, as shown in the other views. 'I'he body part is made oi' insulating material and provided with an upper compartment II and a lower compartment I2. A threaded, metal shell I3 nts tightly in the upper compartment and another threaded, metal shell I4 fits tightly on the lower end I5 oi' the body member. Lugs I6 are sheared from the bottom oi the shell I 3, bent downward and passed through openings I1 moulded in the body member. Tongues Il are formed on the shell Il and the ends of these tongues are bent through openings I9 pierced in the lugs It. In this manner the two shells are not only securely fastened to each other and to the body member, and thus prevented from turning, but they are also electrically connected with each other.

An insulating washer 20 is placed in the bottom oi' the shell I3. It is provided with a rectangular slot through which one leg oi the angular center-contact member 2| passes. The leg is secured to a support 22, which is moulded on the body member, by means of a screw 2l. The thermostatic element 2l is also held in place by means of this screw. 'Ihe element is of the ordinary type on which a resistance wire is wound, and is provided with a contact point 2l. 'Ihe screw 23 is preferably of the so-called self-tapping" type 4 Claims. (Cl. Z500-115.5)

so that it will cut its own threads in the hole when inserted. Another angular contact member 26, which carries a contact point 21, is inserted in the lower end of the body member. When the body member is made in two parts, the 5 parts are held together by the shell I4 and by a metal ring 28 which is snapped into a groove l 29 moulded in the parts near their upper ends.

In the slightly modified body member, shown in Fig. 6, the parts are mounted as in the embodiment just described. The upper center-contact member and the thermostatic element are secured by a screw threaded in the hole 30, and the leg of the lower contact member is made to nt tightly in the slot 3|. A hole 32 is provided 15 in the side of the body member to facilitate the insertion of the screw in the hole 30.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the process employed in constructing this device makes it possible to assemble its parts with ease and at a high rate of speed, and that it assures the correct positioning and alignment of all the parts.

Having described my invention and its object, what I claim as new and wish to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. As an article of manufacture; an electric flasher consisting of an insulating body member containing an upper compartment, having openings in the bottom leading to the exterior, and a smaller lower compartment, having a support- 30 ing boss and also a slot leading to the lower outer end of the body member; a threaded metal shell, having downwardly extending lugs, secured in the upper compartment with the lugs projecting through the openings leading to the exterior of the body member; an upper center contact and a thermostatic element secured to the boss in the lower compartment; a lower center contact secured in the slot in bottom of the body member; and a threaded metal shell secured on the lower end of the body member and contacting with the lugs of the metal shell contained in the upper compartment.

2. As an article of manufacture; an electric flasher consisting o! an insulating body member containing an upper compartment, having openings in the bottom leading to the exterior, and a smaller lower compartment, having a supporting boss and also a slot leading to the lower outer end of the body member; a threaded metal shell, having downwardly extending pierced lugs, secured in the upper compartment with the lugs projecting through the openings leading to the exterior of the body member; an upper center contact and a thermostatic element secured to the boss in the lower compartment; a lower center contact secured in the slot in the bottom of the body member; a threaded shell secured on the lower end of the body member; and said shell having upwardly extending tongues bent into the piercings in the lugs of the metal shell contained in the upper compartment.

3. As an article of manufacture; an electric asher consisting of a two-part insulating body member which, when assembled, contains an upper compartment having openings in the bottom leading to the exterior and a smaller lower compartment having a supporting boss and a slot leading to the lower outer end of the body member; the body member provided with a cirf cumferential groove on the outside at its upper end; a threaded metal shell, having downwardly extending lugs, secured in the upper compartment with the lugs projecting through the openings leading to the exterior of the body member; an insulating washer, having a centrally located rectangular slot, secured inside the metal shell; an upper centercontact extending through the slot in said washer and secured together with a thermostatic element to the boss in the lower compartment; a lower center contact secured in the slot in the bottom of the body member; a threaded metal shell secured on the lower end of the body member and contacting with the lugs of the metal shell contained in the upper compartment; and a ring contained in the circumferential groove for clamping the body parts together.

4. As an article of manufacture; an electric flasher consisting of a. two-part insulating body member which, when assembled, contains an upper compartment having openings in the bottom leading to the exterior and a smaller lower compartment having a supporting boss and a. slot leading to the lower outer end of the body member; the body member providedwtha circumferential `groove on the outside at its .upper end; a threaded metal shell, having downwardly extending and pierced lugs, secured in the upper compartment with the lugs projecting through the openings leading to the exterior of the body member; an insulating washer, having a centrally located "rectangular slot, secured inside the metal shell; an upper center contact extending through the slot in said washer and secured together with a thermostatic element to the boss in the lower compartment; a lower center con*- tact secured in theslot in the bottom of the body member; a threaded shell secured on the lower.

end of the body member; said shell having upwaidly extending tongues bent into the piercings in the lugs of the metal shell contained in the upper compartment; and a ring contained in the circumferential groove for clamping thebody parts together.

LOUIS LUDWIG. 

